Thursday, December 13, 2012

Koo wants local input on gambling decisions

Local residents should get a chance to weigh in before the state rolls the dice on full-tilt casino gaming, a Queens lawmaker said on Tuesday.

City Councilman Peter Koo is pushing for increased “local input” as an amendment to the state constitution comes up for a second round of votes allowing Vegas-style gambling.

The Flushing lawmaker — who is remaining neutral on the issue — contended that locals should be allowed to cast a ballot on whether they want gambling in their backyards.

“We want an open, transparent process,” said Koo (D-Flushing). “There are good arguments on both sides. We want community involvement.”

The state legislature passed an amendment to the constitution this year to issue seven casino licenses at yet-to-be determined locations. The measure must pass the Senate and Assembly again, and then go to a statewide vote.

There are currently nine locations in the state that combine a racetrack with electronic table game parlors, including the Aqueduct racino in South Ozone Park. These are likely contenders for the casino licenses.

Now that the racino has proven to be a success and his Asian constituents no longer have to trek out to Foxwoods via Deathbus to get their fix, Koo-koo wants to cash in on a whole new stream of revenue from developers and lobbyists. This is so predictable it's not even funny anymore. Flushing needs: 1) Department of Consumer Affairs mobile squads canvassing Main Street 2) the incoming waves of Chinese immigrants to discover a new hotspot, easing crowding. How about the new Willet's Point?

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